the aurelian cycle – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Rosaria Munda
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: August 9th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this explosive conclusion to the epic trilogy that began with Fireborne, Annie and Lee are fighting for their lives—and for each other—as invading dragonfire threatens to burn their home to the ground.

A new revolution is underway, and nobody will emerge unscathed.

In New Pythos, Griff is facing an execution by the dragonborn, who are furious at his betrayal. He has allies on both sides seeking to defy his fate, but the price of his freedom might come at a dear cost. And Delo will have to make a choice: follow his family, or finally surrender to his conscience.

Meanwhile, Annie must race home to hatch a plan to save her Guardians and their dragons. With Callipolis on the brink of collapse and the triarchy set to be reinstated, she may be the one person who can save the city—if she can overcome her own doubts about her future.

Lee is a revolutionary at heart, but now he’ll have to find a way to fight with diplomacy. Going up against the dragonborn court and a foreign princess, he faces a test of loyalty that sets his head against his heart.

As the fate of Callipolis darkens, Annie and Lee must determine what they are willing to sacrifice in order to save each other, defeat their enemies, and reclaim their home.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the eARC.

EPIC.

This series is TOTALLY UNDERRATED AND EVERYONE SHOULD GO READ IT PLEASE.

Now with that business out of the way let me give a non-spoiler review.

I LOVED this story. It is slow for YA, but as someone who loves fantasy across the board I was into it. Packed with a punch from the get-go the action did not cease for awhile. I loved the drift it took into slower territory, where building of armies, tension, and romance was able to happen. I was absolutely smitten with both romances. Lee and Annie are too precious for this world. This incredible bond formed when they were orphaned children that grew into something unquantifiable. It was passionate and TEARS WERE SHED at some specific, not to be named scenes.

I also adored the romance between Griff and Delo. It had a whole different vibe to it with a changing of position and having to be let the festering anger burst before bonds could reform. I love the hope that came from between them even when things were at there bleakest.

Can we also discuss the side characters??! Holy cow they brought it too. Power has got to be one of my new favorites. He was everything I love about morally gray dynamics. Caught wanting to better his life, falling into unrequited love and more that I wish I could say. His scenes were next level.

And the plot is full of DRAGONS, politicking, action and more. I think this plot flowed really well and I truly didn’t know how things were going to end up working out in the end. I did nick 1/2 star because I wanted a little more *oopmh* in the ending (though I do promise it ends perfectly well and you will not throw your book). Besides that hard to nail down thought with the ending, I NEED Y’ALL TO PLEASE READ THIS SERIES.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy + Romance
Language: some
Romance: closed-door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: battle themes, loss of life, loss of loved ones, grief & depression depiction, near death experiences, torture, animal cruelty, fires, indentured servitude, harassment

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ARC Book Review: Flamefall (The Aurelian Cycle #2) by Rosaria Munda

March 18, 2021January 29, 2021 GoodeyReads

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 336 pages
Author: Rosaria Munda
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 23rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Revolutionary flames ignite around Annie, Lee, and a brand new POV character in the second book of the Fireborne trilogy.

After fleeing the revolution and settling into the craggy cliffs of New Pythos, the Dragonlords are eager to punish their usurpers–and reclaim their city. Their first order of business was destroying the Callipolan food supply. Now they’re coming for the Dragonriders.

Annie is Callipolis’s new Firstrider, and while her goal has always been to protect the people, being the government’s enforcer has turned her into public enemy number one.

Lee struggles to find his place after killing kin to prove himself to a leader who betrayed him. He can support Annie and the other Guardians . . . or join the radicals who look to topple the new regime.

Griff, a lowborn dragonrider who serves New Pythos, knows he has no future. And now that Julia, the Firstrider who had protected him, is dead, he is called on to sacrifice everything for the lords that oppress his people–or to forge a new path with the Callipolan Firstrider seeking his help.

With famine tearing Callipolis apart and the Pythians determined to take back what they lost, it will be up to Annie, Lee, and Griff to decide what to fight for–and who to love.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own!

GREAT MIDDLE BOOK.

We all know that sometimes a middle book doesn’t have the same fire as the first. I thought this was a great second book! SO MUCH happened.

This is a high action book. Everywhere I turned there were dragon attacks, a whole lot of fire, backstabbing and betrayals. It was plenty to keep track of and I enjoyed the challenge. I really like the addition of Griff into the story. He was able to provide insight from the other side of the war. I loved his romance sub-plot and how Griff continued to strive for a better solution for his situation and of those he loved.

Getting more of Annie and Lee was the best. I love this push and pull relationship. It doesn’t feel contrived, there’s a lot both characters have to work through. Pain, grief and anger. Lee and Annie had to look within themselves and had wonderful character progression. The tidbits of romance only make me want more and what’s hopefully a long awaited happy ever after!

A high action book filled with tough conversations and reveals. I would definitely lean this towards a darker YA book. There’s war, high loss of lives, and some really twisted individuals. I looooove all of the dragons and this might be one of my top series involving them. I can’t wait for the finale and to know where all of this leads!

Overall audience notes:

Young adult fantasy
Language: some strong
Romance: kisses
Violence: murder, mass loss of lives, mass burnings, physical, creature attacks; fairly violent nature throughout the book

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Book Review

Book Review: Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle #1) by Rosaria Munda

February 1, 2021September 7, 2020 GoodeyReads

Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 448 pages
Author: Rosaria Munda
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books
Release Date: October 15th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Game of Thrones meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that’s full of rivalry, romance… and dragons.

Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.

Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen.

WHY THE LOVE TRIANGLE.

Ugh.

I’ll get this out of the way first. There’s a bit of a love triangle woven in. I don’t like it.

Anywho, the rest of the story? GOOD. I liked it! I want to read book two. Interesting story line with an exiled prince that nobody knows about. Working his way up the ranks, deciding where he wants to be. All good things that made me love Lee. I also really liked Annie. She’s a sweetheart who can also lay it down when needed. They are the real ship here and I demand them to be together.

Oh hey, also, DRAGONS. I loooove dragon books. I was looking for a bit more from the dragons, but they are definitely in this story a lot. They have an interesting history too, and I like the way they were woven in.

There’s plenty of action, and some slower spots too. It really read as young adult fantasy. Which can be positive or negative depending on how you feel about about the genre. I still enjoy it even if some things bug me. I found this easy to get into and the background and world information to simple to grasp. The character stories were intense and made me angry and upset for them.

I’m curious where this will continue because there’s definitely pieces at work.

Overall audience notes: